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n an apparent bid to secure a place in the next government, more political parties from the coalition that nominated losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto are expected to join the camp of president-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo.

Some of the parties are expected to make an announcement soon after the Constitutional Court'€™s ruling on the presidential election dispute.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono'€™s Democratic Party and Hatta Rajasa'€™s National Mandate Party (PAN) have signaled that they wish to join the Jokowi-led coalition.

Meanwhile, politicians from two member parties of the Prabowo-led coalition, the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP), are now plotting the ouster of their respective chairmen, a move
that would allow them to switch sides.

Jokowi himself revealed that discussions between his camp and both the Democratic Party and PAN were ongoing, and had almost reached their conclusion.

'€œThe Democratic Party and PAN will likely [join us],'€ Jokowi said at City Hall on Wednesday.

However, Jokowi added that he could offer no incentives to parties joining his coalition.

'€œThe only condition to join [us] is that there are no conditions,'€ Jokowi said, reiterating his commitment to non-transactional politics. He claims to have made the same requirement to the original members of the coalition that nominated his ticket in the July 9 election.

Jokowi said that the decision to welcome more parties into his camp was aimed at gaining more leverage in the House of Representatives, enabling him to govern effectively.

The Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla ticket was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party, which together secured only 207 House seats, against 353 seats garnered by the opposition.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI), which also supported Jokowi and Kalla in the election, failed to secure a seat in the House.

Should the Democratic Party and PAN join the coalition, they would bring an additional 61 and 49 lawmakers respectively to support Jokowi'€™s programs; his support would be greatly bolstered by the joining of Golkar, which secured 91 seats, and the PPP, which won 47 seats.

PDI-P senior politician Sidarto Danusubroto hinted at the possibility of the Democratic Party and PAN joining the coalition, saying that '€œexecutives from both parties have approached us for intensive talks'€.

'€œLet'€™s wait for the [court] ruling tomorrow. Things will surely change after the ruling. More parties will possibly join us,'€ said Sidarto, who is also the People'€™s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker.

Democratic Party deputy secretary-general Ramadhan Pohan has indicated that his party could give its support to president-elect Jokowi.

'€œThe party will support anybody who intends to defend the nation'€™s people and our national interests,'€ Ramadhan said.

He was quick, however, to add that the final decision on whether to join Jokowi'€™s coalition belonged to the party chairman, President Yudhoyono.

'€œWe have received clear orders to remain neutral, independent and moderate. But when there are changes, of course they will be discussed in the assembly and the result of the discussion will be submitted to the party'€™s central executive board. Up to now, however, there has not been any discussion about changing direction,'€ he said.